{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}}
'He's a Goner' - Exclusive: Arsenal tipped to bin defender 'only there for the money' by pundit
Kevin Campbell is adamant Sokratis Papastathopoulos will leave Arsenal in the new year.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Gunners striker said the 32-year-old is “a goner” and should have left the club in the summer.
Sokratis has been frozen out by Mikel Arteta this season and was not included in Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad named in October.
The centre-half, who earns £95,000-a-week according to Spotrac, has little over six months left on his deal at the Emirates and will be free to speak to foreign clubs regarding a pre-contract from 1 January.
Campbell suggested the Greece international may already have a verbal agreement with Italian giants Napoli in place.
“I think he is a goner,” he told Football Insider.
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
“He is one of the players who was supposed to have gone in the summer. I expected him to leave to go and play football.
“Whether he chose not to go or whether Napoli decided they would instead sign him on a pre-contract in January – I am not sure.
“He chose to stay and it is a strange one because he must have known that he would not be involved. He is well within his rights to but as a player I would want to play.
“He is only there to pick up money. While he is well within his rights, I expect that players want to play football. That is everything.”
In other news, it can be REVEALED that a senior Arsenal player has opened talks with the club over a new long-term deal.